Refrigerating apparatus



FL H. KOLB'E.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED- JULY 29, [920.

1,418,806., A PatentedJune 6,1922.

' to that arrangement. I

FREDERICK H. KOLBE, 0F DETROIT,

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO RATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

Knnvmaroa oo ard A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

REFRIGERATING- arrsmrns.

L frl fiw.

' Application filed July 29,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be'it known that I, F REDERIOK H. KoLBE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in RefrigeratingApparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to mechanical refrigerating apparatus andespecially to that of the domestic type which is required to be operatedwith a minimum of supervision or attention, although it is notrestricted to such use. In the patent of I-Ieideman and Hadjisky, issuedJanuary 27, 1920, No. 1,329,350, there was described and claimed a meansand method of regulating an auto-' matic mechanical refrigerator,comprising an expansion coil having its terminal turns uppermost and athermostat supported in such wise as to be subject to the temperatureconditions in such terminal turns. Accord ing to the specificconstruction set forth in that patent the thermostat was itselfsupported in direct contact with the entering air although the patentwas not restricted have discovered that the operation is furtherimproved in case the thermostat isso supported as to be subject to thetemperature conditions in the terminal turns but shielded fromdirectcontact with the convection currents; the effect of thisarrangement being to produce a mechanical refrigerating device in whicha sufficiently low temperature shall be maintained with a smaller totaltime of compressor operation and hence with a saving of energy; whilefurther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description proceeds. This present construction constitutes aspecific improvement upon the for mer patent, subject to the same broadclaims and difl'ering'in the particular noted.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application Ihave lllustrated certain physical forms in whlch my inventive idea maybeembodied although it will be. understood that thesedrawings are intendedto be illustrative only and not to limit me to the particular detailstherein shown. In these drawings Fig. 1 illustrates my improvedexpansion coil and thermostat located in a refrigerator and operativelyconnected to the other elements of the refrig- Specification of LettersPatent.

1920. Serial No. 399,656.

crating system; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the thermostatand associated arts drawn to an enlarged scale; andFig. 3 illustrates amodified orm of device.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, I have for purposes of illustrationshown acorner of an ordinary domestic refrigerator having Patented June6, 1922.

a brine tank and cooling coil located in the chamber ordinarily providedfor ice. This refrigerator comprises an external rectangular casing 1having therein an upright partition 2 spaced from vide an air passage 3and also spaced from the bottom (not shown) to provide another passagein a well known manner. The chamher 4 defined at one side of thepartition is employed. for the storage of food and the chamber 5 at theother side of said partition constitutes a refrigerant space, the upperpart whereof is ordinarily employed for ice which is supported in suchwise that thecirculating air can pass over and around the same.

In this'ice space I have showna metal brine tank 6 having therein asubmerged pipe coil 7 whose terminal turns are continned above the tankand formed into a closely wound upright coil 8, the turns of which arein heat conducting relation with each other and with the tank top, andsmaller in diameter than the tank'6. In the present embodiment. I haveshown this coil as consisting of two layers of piping, but do not limitmyself thereto. The initial end of the coil 7 is connected to anexpansion valve 10 which in turn communicates with the condenser 11; theoutlet end of the coil 8 communicates with the intake 12 of acompressor'13 whose pressure side isconnected to said condenser. Thecompressor is driven by the electric motor 14, whose operation iscontrolled by the thermostat located inside the coil 8. So far as'this'application is concerned the essential feature of the thermostatis ,pansible vessel filled with liquid of low boiling point, but anysuitable device could be emplofyed; and the cap constitutes a. supportor such member and is formed with the top as shown to prosel 16 inoperating relation,

' this particular feature is duction for a purpose which will appearlater.

Mounted on the cap 17 is a switch box 20 having suitable switchmechanism 21 therein mechanically connected to the ves-. the terminalsof the switch being connected with the positive and negative leads 23and 24 connected in series with the motor 14 and a suitable source ofelectricity, not shown.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a slightly modified construction wherein thebrine tank is shown at 6*, and the coil 7 rises uninterruptedly from thebottom of the tank and through the top thereof in a single geometricalfigure, the portion of the coil next above the top of the tank occuringin the form of spaced turns 7* so that the air currents may obtainintimate contact therewith and have access to all sides of the tank. Theuppermost end of this coil, however, has its turns closely laid togetheras shown at 8 and forming a seat having a suitablethermostat 15. Theexpansion valve 10 is as before connected to the initial turn of theexpansion coil and the return pipe 12 to the topmost turn of theexpansion coil.

With the constructions herein set forth it will be seen that the initialturns of the expansion coil are submerged in a brine tank so that thefirst effect of the refrigerant is to cool the latter to a very lowtemperature; while the abstraction of heat from the brine will preventany such cooling of the terminal turns asto actuate the thermostat untilafter the brine has become very thoroughly cooled. inasmuch as theseturns lie in the path of the entering convection currents so as to bekept warmed thereby until the last possible moment; however. as soon asthe frost line reaches this point a sudden change of temperature isproduced which causes a positive and quick operation of the thermostatcausing the stopping of the motor. During the idle period the refrigeration is maintained by the action of the brine tank which absorbsheat slowly because of the large mass and high specificheat-capacity ofits contents. As soon as the thermostat has become sufficiently heatedby the incoming air, the motor will be restarted and the refrigeratingaction repeated, but by shielding the thermostat from the entering airthis action is delayed until the warming efi'ect had had an opportunityto be transmitted inwardly to it through the pipe coil 8; and thisaction is the more delay by reason of the close thermal contact toactuate the thermostat until the brine has become warmed to aconsiderable degree.

It will be noted that the refrigerant coil will be cooled from thebottom upward inasmuch as the cooling fluid enters the coil from belowand passes through the brine tank. To assist this action the coils arepreferably dipped in molten zinc or tin so as to bind them closelytogether in heat-conducting relation and are preferably soldereddirectly to the top of the tank as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be understood that many changes in detail and construction andarrangement can be made within the scope of my invention and that I donot limit myself to the particular features herein shown except as thesame are specifically recited in the annexed claims.

Havin thus described my what I c aim is:

1. In a refrigerating device, a storage chamber and a refrigeratingchamber havinvention,

'ing air circulation openings, an upright refrigerant coil in saidchamber and cooled from below upwardly, the uppermost turns of said coilbeing located nearest to the airinflow opening and in the direct airstream therefrom, a thermostatic device located inside the uppermostturns of said coil, and a cap preventing entrance of air into the end ofsaid coil.

2. In a refrigerating device, an upright refrigerant coilhaving itsuppermost turns close together, a thermostatic device dependinginto'said turns, a cap covering the top of said coil, and an electricswitch operatively connected to said device.

3. In a refrigerating device, in combination, a brine tank, arefrigerating coil therein and rising above the same, said coilterminating at the top in a closely convoluted vertical portion ofsmaller diameter than said tank. a heat responsive device inside the topof said coil, an electric switch operatively connected to said device,and

a cap covering said vessel and the top of said coil.

4. In a refrigerating device, in combination, a brine tank, arefrigerating 'coil therein and rising above the same, the portion ofsaid coil which projects above said tank being formed with its turns incontiguous, heat-conducting relation with each other and with the tanktop, a thermostatic device located inside said coil, means forcingrefrigerant into the opposite end of said coil, and means forpreventing'the entrance of convection currents into such terminal turns 5. In arefrigerating device, a storage chamber and a refrigerating chamberhaving air circulating openings, an upright V refrigerant coil in saidchamber and having 7 preventing entrance of convection currentsits-uppermost turns contiguous with. each other,- a brine tanksurrounding the lowermost turns of said coil, the uppermost turns beinglocated nearest the air mlet openingandin the direct air streamtherefrom, a compressor operatively connected through a condenser withthe lowermost turns of said coil, a thermostatic device located insidesuch uppermost turns and operatively connected to said compressor, andmeans into such up ermost. turns. I I g 6.. In a re rlgeratmg dev1ce,-1ncombmation, a brine tank, an expansion coil partly immersed therein andpartly rising above the same, the portion of said coil which rises abovesaid tank being formed with its turns in contiguous heat conductinrelation with each other and in" a plura ity of layers, means forsupplying liquid refrigerant to the lower turns of said coil andWithdrawing vaporized refrigerant from the upper turns thereof and athermostatic device located inside said upper turns and adapted tocontrol the operation of said means.

In testimony whereof,I hereunto afiix my signature.

FREDERICK HJKOLBE.

